While much of her earlier research centered on African-Americans’ living quarters in the 18th and 19th centuries, her current focus involves events, people and objects associated with some of today’s most critical social issues.
“My academic training is in history and historical archaeology, and my research is primarily focused on how the intersection of race, gender, class, and sexuality look through an archaeological lens,” she explains in her personal bio. “I see myself as a scholar and activist who views the classroom and the university as a space to engage contemporary issues with a sensibility of the past.”
Battle-Baptiste was exposed to history growing up in the Bronx because her mother was a high school history teacher in Uniondale on Long Island. She planned to follow suit when she entered Virginia State University, an HBCU in Petersburg, as an undergrad. However, academia can thank some lively public school students for guiding Battle-Baptiste into its hallowed halls.
“Teaching history in Petersburg public schools was – well – it was just more than I was ready to handle,” she recalls, adding that her role extended far beyond that of a teacher. “I was counselor, I was parent, and it was a financially and economically struggling area.”
Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste
That experience led her to consider other options. “I was either joining the Peace Corps or going to graduate school.” A career fair helped her decide to attend The College of William and Mary, where she earned her master’s degree in history, and where she discovered the world of archaeology.
